"You are the ones that spend countless hours dropping and picking up your children and up late at night working on projects that your students have forgotten," Meyer said.

Being a person of action, Meyer said to the students, means that history records the timid and the old but we all remember the bold.

"You being here tonight means you are people of great things," Meyer said. "Go out and do. Be bold."

The third part to being a good citizen is choosing to be happy, Meyer said.

"The society today programs us to be pessimistic. You have to choose to see the positive in your life. Have a positive outlook and be grateful to the ones around you," Meyer said. "There are many great benefits to being happy; you'll have more friends, and greater success financially and professional."

Meyer spoke about the two people who changed his life. In eighth grade, Meyer said that he had been bullied for two years. It was his choir director, Curtis King and especially his cousin Matthew Meyer who changed his life.

"Matthew took me under his wing and made a tremendous difference that changed my life," Meyer said. "I see a lot of success and confidence out there. Go reach out to that kid, that misfit to just talk to them. You'll make a big difference in their lives."

More than 250 underclassmen and 88 seniors from Bettsville, Hopewell-Loudon, Mohawk, New Riegel, Old Fort and Seneca East high schools received the award. Of the seniors who received the award, 29 received monetary awards.